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The restorers of the 117-year-old steam ferry Minerva will stage an open day on Sunday, from 10am to 1pm, opposite the bowling club in Cobham Rd, Kerikeri. Built in 1910 to ferry passengers between Auckland and Clevedon, SS Minerva was later used to tow logs on the Kaipara Harbour, as a private launch, a floating brothel, a fishing boat and an America's Cup viewing boat.

Cafe scoops award

Two Birds Cafe in Ruakaka has won the Northland regional People's Choice Award in the 2018 Meadow Fresh New Zealand Cafe of the Year awards. Epiphany Cafe in Hamilton has been named the People's Choice Upper North Island Region winner, as part of the awards.

Determined by customer votes, the People's Choice Regional Awards recognise the most popular cafes in six regions across New Zealand and also recognise the most popular cafes in local areas throughout New Zealand with a People's Choice Local Winner certificate. There were more than 30,000 public votes received this year throughout New Zealand.

NorthTec decision due

A decision from NorthTec on what the future of the tertiary education provider will look like should be released today. The Government's plans for fees-free study prompted NorthTec to delay the decision.

NorthTec got 164 submissions over proposed major changes that could include axing some courses and "resting" the Rawene and Kerikeri campuses. It had been due to make a decision on Wednesday but pushed it back until today after Education Minister Chris Hipkins said all Kiwis who had done less than half a fulltime year of post-school education or training would be eligible to study fees-free next year.

Correction

In a story in Tuesday's Advocate we said a boat being launched 29 years after work started was named The Kauai Mist. The boat was being started by former Kamo metalwork teacher Colin Nisbet whose son and daughter completed the project after he died in February last year.

It was the second boat Mr Nisbet had built and the first boat was called The Kauai Mist. The boat launched on Monday was christened Kauai Uhiwai. (Uhiwai means mist, but is also a metaphor for "surrounded by love").

Correction

In a story in the Northern Advocate published on December 1, headed 'Four jailed over Kaitaia wedding night killing', the sentencing judge was quoted as being Justice Davidson. The judge was actually Justice P Davison.